Re-electionist Barangay Kagawad shot dead in Agusan del Norte

BUTUAN CITY - A re-electionist Barangay Kagawad was shot dead by still unidentified armed men and women inside his house around 9:40 p.m. on Thursday evening. Report from Caraga Police Regional Information Office identified the victim as Barangay Kagawad Rommel Magdayo Moldez, 31. Moldez was seeking re-election as Barangay Kagawad of Barangay San Isidro, Santiago, Agusan del Norte, where gold-rich Mount Sarog is located. An initial investigation revealed that several as-yet unidentified men and women had entered the victim's house, looking for him. When Moldez arrived, accompanied by a certain Romnick Tupos, he and his companion were ordered to drop to the ground. Moldez was then shot twice in the back. The suspects then allegedly left the premises to look for another person, identified as Barangay Kagawad Angelito Garong. After the shooting, the victim was immediately rushed to Cabadbaran Emergency District Hospital some ten kilometers away from Barangay San Isidro, but was pronounced dead on arrival by attending physicians. The immediate family and relatives of the victim told police probers that the killing may have been motivated by Moldez's direct involvement in peace and order initiatives in the mining area at Mount Sarug. They claimed that he had already previously received death threats. Moldez's murder follows in the wake of allegations from concerned civilians that small-scale miners and even ordinary civilians in the area have been acquiring illegal stockpiles of firearms and ammunition. There are also allegations that the stockpiles were acquired from scalawag members of the military and the police. Further, some of the miners are allegedly under the protection of local politicians who reportedly own some of the mining tunnels at Mount Sarug. The alleged stockpiling came to light after a series of still unsolved robberies and killings that are apparently tied up with gold mining interests in the area. The Santiago Municipal Police said that they are investigating the shooting to determine if it was politically motivated, as the victim was seeking re-election in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this coming Monday. Earlier, Caraga Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Reynaldo S. Rafal identified 204 Barangays in Agusan del Norte as sensitive areas in need of monitoring. - TJD, GMANews.TV